In circuit diagrams and circuit analysis, there are long-standing conventions regarding the naming of voltages, currents, and some components.[3] In the analysis of a bipolar junction transistor, for example in a common emitter configuration, the DC voltage at the collector, emitter, and base (with respect to ground) may be written as VC, VE, and VB, respectively. Resistors associated with these transistor terminals may be designated RC, RE, and RB. In order to create the DC voltages, the furthest voltage, beyond these resistors or other components if present, was often referred to as VCC, VEE, and VBB. In practice VCC and VEE then refer to the plus and minus supply lines respectively in common NPN circuits. Note that VCC would be negative and VEE would be positive in equivalent PNP circuits.
Exactly analogous conventions were applied to field-effect transistors with their drain, source and gate terminals.[3] This led to VD and VS being created by supply voltages designated VDD and VSS in the more common circuit configurations. In equivalence to the difference between NPN and PNP bipolars, VDD is positive with regard to VSS in the case of n-channel FETs and MOSFETs and negative for circuits based on p-channel FETs and MOSFETs.